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      3. RASHI METHOD: GRAMMAR
      BRIEF EXPLANATION: Rashi explains verses using grammar principles, that is, rules which relate reproducable word form to word meaning. Grammatical rules neatly fall into 3 categories
      • (a) the rules governing conjugation of individual words,Biblical roots,
      • (b) the rules governing collections of words,clauses, sentences
      • (c) miscellaneous grammatical, or form-meaning, rules.
      This examples applies to Rashis Dt07-23a
      URL Reference: (c) http://www.Rashiyomi.com/w34n7.htm
      Brief Summary: If a 3 letter root with terminal MEM is punctuated: a) Kamatz-Patach: It simply refers to the verb - activity; b) Kamatz-Kamatz: It refers to the verb + Object.

Verse Dt07-23a, discussing the aid God gives the Jews in conquering Israel, states Ad-noy, your G-d, will defeat them before you, and will confuse them with great confusion until they are destroyed. The Hebrew word Hey-Mem-Mem is punctuated Kamatz-Kamatz. Rashi consequently interprets the terminal suffix letter Mem as indicating an object confuse them. Had the word been punctuated Kamatz-Patach it would simply mean to confuse without any object.

Rashi frequently taught grammar using what I have called the near miss method. Rashi examines several almost identical forms and identifies the grammatical differences between them.

    Here are some further near misses presented by Rashi, that illustrate grammatical points.
  • (Rashi Ex19-18a) The Hebrew word Ayin-Shin-Nun
    • When punctuated Kamatz-Kamatz means the noun, smoke
    • When punctuated Kamatz-Patach means the verb, to smoke
  • (Rashi Gn49-04a ) The Hebrew word Pay-Cheth-Zayin
    • When punctuated Patach-Patach means the noun fi10
    • When punctuated Kamatz-Patach means the verb, to fi10.
  • (Rashi: Dt07-23a)The Hebrew word Hey-Mem-Mem
    • When punctuated Kamatz-Patach means the verb, to confuse
    • When punctuated Kamatz-Kamatz means the verb-object pair, to confuse them. 


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